Saying Goodbye
by TheSeventhBlackRoseAlice
Summary: Akihiko thought how there had been a time he never would have believed that he’d live through losing him like this. And yet…here he was. Surviving. Romantica One-shot. UsagixMisaki & a dab of UsagixTakahiro


**Disclaimer**: I sadly don't own Junjou Romantica or its characters. *sob*

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**Saying Goodbye**

Usami Akihiko stood silently, staring at the slab of stone in front of him, his immaculately polished shoes pressing slightly into the softened earth below his feet; his open trenchcoat billowed around him, offering no protection from the bitter March wind. Though he knew it was foolish, he had half expected a day like today to be smothered in greyness, or at the very least, a steady rain. Maybe that was the writer part of him that tended toward the melodramatic. Maybe it was the selfish part of him that somehow thought that the universe and its elements would somehow reflect the tempest he felt inside. Either way, he found himself under a startlingly frigid, yet crystal blue sky. He would have been irritated, maybe enraged even, by the audacity of the sun to let light shine here, now, of all times and places, but after all that had happened…all that had been lost...he couldn't muster up the energy to feel much of anything except the cold.

Yes, he could feel the cold breath of the wind that nipped and bit, violating his vulnerable skin until it was left burning and raw. But he didn't care. And as he bent down & removed his leather glove to trace his long, elegant fingers over the characters so carefully engraved into that piece of marble, feeling every single cut that had helped to leave the name "Takahashi" behind, the characters felt like ice water under his fingertips. But he didn't move his hand.

He did, however, think about the last time his hand had held that of the man who now rested here, the man whose hand he'd never hold again. He thought of all the words that had passed between them. And all the ones that had been left to linger on the tips of tongues, unspoken. He thought how there had been a time he would never have believed that he'd live through losing him like this. And yet…here he was. Surviving.

Manami, still looking beautiful through her tear-reddened eyes and mourning dress, came up beside him, temporarily breaking him from his thoughts.

"Usagi-san," she said quietly.

There was no reply. She continued on. "Forgive me, but I just wanted to say thank you. For all that you've done, for Takahiro..for all of us, I mean. You really didn't have to—"

"Yes, I did," he said, cutting her off abruptly. He lowered his head and his voice softened. "…I should have done more."

"Usagi-san," she said slowly, carefully, moving in front of him. "You couldn't—" But he turned his head away from her. His eyes fixed downwards, but somewhere farther away than she knew, before finally hiding themselves away behind a curtain of silvery hair.

Manami was immediately reminded of how Takahiro had once told her of his brother, Misaki's stubbornness in blaming himself for their parents' deaths, regardless of how many people contridicted him. Even that small memory now brought tears to her eyes and she decided not to press Usagi further, and instead simply bent down to kiss the top of the gravestone, whispered a prayer, and tearfully turned to leave.

As Manami left him, Akihiko was immediately aware of someone else standing behind him. And it wasn't long before he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and placed his own hand over the other man's.

They stood together in silence for several long moments before Akihiko attempted to speak. A breaking "I--" was all that came out.

Akihiko could hear the tears that threatened to spill in the voice that struggled so hard to be strong as it replied. "It's okay... I know.." The other man said gently, "I loved him too." And Akihiko turned and pulled the man into a fiercely tight embrace, for once receiving no rebuff, no protest at all. They stood there holding on to each other like they were the only thing anchoring one another to the earth at that moment.

After standing there for what could have passed for moments, minutes or days, Akihiko finally pulled away enough to stare into the eyes of the man he held in his arms. "Ready?"

The other man just nodded and slipped his hand into Akihiko's as they approached the gravestone.

Akihiko moved forward first to touch the gravestone with his hand, whispered a prayer and said, "Rest in peace, Takahiro, my dear friend…" And then almost inaudibly, "And know: _I will keep my word_."

Akihiko moved aside slightly. The younger man beside him then stepped forward to place his hand gingerly upon his brother's final resting place, and whispered a prayer of his own. Then, with tears sliding steadily down his cheeks, he choked out the words, "I--I'll miss you, Ni--Niichan…No one could h-have asked for a b-better older brother..."

Akihiko reached out and cupped his lover's face, wiping away his fallen tears with his thumbs before kissing him lovingly on the forehead. "Come, Misaki. Let's go home."

"Yeah," the young man sniffed, leaning into Akihiko as Akihiko put his arm around the young man's shoulders and pulled him close.

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_**AN**: This is my first attempt at writing a_ _Junjou Romantica_ _fic, (and really, anime/manga fic in general.) Anime/manga fics always seemed a little intimidating to me to write, but I've decided to finally take the plunge as I love this series **sooo** **much**. That said, **reviews/comments are especially appreciated**. And as always**, thanks for reading!**_


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